An aurora is a natural light display in the sky (from the Latin word aurora, "sunrise" or the Roman goddess of dawn), predominantly seen in the high latitude (Arctic and Antarctic) regions. Aurorae are caused by cosmic rays, solar wind and magnetospheric plasma interacting with the upper atmosphere (thermosphere/exosphere).
Their charged particles, mainly electrons and protons, enter the
atmosphere from above causing ionization and excitation of atmospheric
constituents, and consequent light emissions. Incident protons can also
produce emissions as hydrogen atoms after gaining an electron from the
atmosphere.
In northern latitudes, the effect is known as the aurora borealis (or the northern lights), named after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for the north wind, Boreas, by Galileo in 1619. Auroras seen within the auroral oval may be directly overhead, but from
farther away they illuminate the poleward horizon as a greenish glow,
or sometimes a faint red, as if the Sun were rising from an unusual
direction.
 |
| Date of Issue: May 8, 2015 - Floral Beauty |
Thank you, Anu !
Received on: May 22, 2015
No comments:
Post a Comment